#51

your yellow plastic box grid probably got more use than 90% of the 64’s on the street. respect. :fist:

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#52

Came here on a fortuitous search for book recommendations, then had it bookmarked for a while before visiting regularly. Gone down many adventures stemming from the discussions here

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#53

Since this topic is in meta, I will get meta.

My journey to lines began in my youth. For some bizarre reason (bizarre because it ended up being so out of character for them), my parents gave me a small Casio synthesizer keyboard with a built-in speaker when I was in kindergarten or first grade. Neither of them played piano, so I have no idea how they came by it, but one day it was in my house and then they let me have it. (I don’t remember the model, but it was cream colored and probably only two or two and a half octaves.) I figured out do-re-mi, but what I enjoyed immensely was playing three notes in order (a one-shot arpeggio, if you will) on what i guess was the string setting. The way the chords that I played felt and the way they sounded fascinated me. Externally and around the same time, Top Gun was in theaters and that synth line in “Take My Breath Away” that I heard a few times on the radio gave me goosebumps. It began.

In my teens, I enjoyed Enya’s Watermark and Shepherd Moon albums and also fell in love with the movie Dune and it’s soundtrack. I was more interested in playing guitar than keys, but eventually got a used Yamaha RM1x in my 20’s to try to make “cool electronic music” with… nothing of the sort happened, though I did play keyboards in an indie band in the early 00’s…

I followed all kinds of electronic music and loved progressive house and trance because of how melodic stuff on Hooj Toons and Perfecto was, and was also getting into Aphex Twin. Monumental for me was hearing Bath’s “Cerulean” (particularly that first track) and Flying Lotus’ remix of Gucci Mane’s “Photo Shoot” on an Adult Swim comp–I hadn’t heard music like that before and I loved it. I tried forming a noise band with a friend, but we didn’t have the right equipment to make a noise we liked. I found ZZK and a love for cumbia thanks to a new twist put on it. At that point I was much more interested in electronic music–both as a listener and aspiring creator.

I spent a long time raising my kids without much disposable income, and then in the last couple of years I got back into making music again. I finally bought a Moog (a Subphatty) and Ableton Live and started attempting to make music, but my life was little too hectic to properly focus on the process. What this did introduce to me was the components of synthesis, and all of the cool stuff I could figure out on Live, particularly with samples.

I can’t retrace my steps from that era of my life cleanly because I was careening between YouTube videos, interviews I could find that discussed gear, and Instagram accounts for the last couple of years and heard about Eurorack. I told myself no way. Then one day last September, I watched this video @mattlowery posted to Instagram and got floored all over again. He tagged the lines Instagram account I think, which was mostly bare. I found the monome website, which I believe pointed to the forums, which seemed intimidating (not the vibes, just the sheer number of topics filled with discussion by knowledgeable people), so I didn’t join when I first found it. Then after a week on an FB group, I decided I wasn’t really feeling that and came back. I signed up and it has been a game changer for me. It definitely touches on all of the things that interest and inspire me musically.

As this post is already getting suuuuuuper long, I will stop here and offer a sincere thank you to everyone here who posts–you all have created a wonderful community that I enjoy being a part of.

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#54

I just can’t backtrack how I got here, no memories of it at all. Maybe I was always here?)

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#56

i had been slowly getting into electronic music over the years… i can trace it all the way back to hearing soul coughing, which was perfect for me as a drummer. electronic music ideas hidden in a band, it got my ears ready for the usual staples - aphex twin, squarepusher, four tet.

later on, my love of hip-hop introduced me to monome. i was a big fan of busdriver, and some time around 2010 i noticed that he was working with someone named daedelus and for some reason they stuck in my mind - maybe someone had mentioned “oh it’s so cool driver is working with daedelus,” something like that. years after that i finally saw some performance videos of theirs - "oh yeah! i know that artist, they work with busdriver. wait. what is going on here.

found out about monome, found out about the forum. at first i was super interested but kind of balked at actually getting into the gear myself - seemed expensive “for a drummer,” etc - all that stuff i’m sure any traditional instrumentalist thinks before fully diving into electronic land. gave in around 2014 and bought a grid, got super into max… still here and still loving the gear. it’s a fantastic community, and approach to art making in general.

was excited to find out that monome had calarts ties as i ended up going there myself. moved here with two grids and aleph, now have two grids norns teletype crow… and monome lead me to mannequins as well! this forum has also introduced me to ciat-lonbarde, i’ve learned how to solder circuits since joining… it’s really a wonderful place that has lead to lots of good things.

what a cool thread! really enjoying reading everyone else’s paths.

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#57

If I remember correctly, I stumbled across a photo of @marcus_fischer 's installation at the Variform gallery (the one with all the little seed pods being excited by speaker cones…amazing), and while checking out his profile stumbled upon norns. One click led to another and I landed on @tehn 's metallophone/norns demo. I was totally mesmerized. At that point, I was into guitar pedals in a big way and was thirsty for something different but probably couldn’t quite have described what.

I saw that video and was like “that. whatever that is” and didn’t realize that I was talking about both norns and lines. And here we are.

Much richer in friendships and inspiration; much poorer due to modular :grinning:

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#58

Yes! “Multiples”

That is one of my favorite installations. Glad it lead you here.

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#59

I didn’t know that was you! really awesome work.

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#60

i just wanted to chime in and say that reading this thread makes me really happy.

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#61

Hi everyone! First time posting here, although I’ve been lurkin around since this forum’s inception (lurked a bit on the old monome forums as well :sweat_smile:)

I became instantly fascinated with the grid after reading about it online (CDM perhaps?) and finally bought a walnut 64 in 2013. Before then I had mostly played in punk bands, but loved chopping up audio on my laptop and did a fair amount of multimedia work with Pd during my undergrad years at UIUC. I was always looking for ways to make my computer an instrument, more than just a fickle host for the Adobe Creative Suite.

I briefly met Brian in 2013 after somehow convincing the owners of the graphic design studio I worked at right out of college to invite him to speak/perform at their annual TED-like design conference. That job came and went, but the grid has stuck around ever since — I used MLRV extensively along with contact mics, floor triggers and video gear in a series of site-specific modern dance performances, and a string of shows and recordings with my good friend’s jazz combo

I’ve worked on a handful of never-published Pd grid interfaces over the years, and recently rekindled my love of laptops thanks to Madrona Labs’ Kaivo and the Mark Eats sequencer — looking to dive into the norns world soon.

I really love this forum, and have learned a ton about audio programming and synthesis concepts just from scrolling around. Thank you all for being better at sharing!

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#62

I think it was @AlessandroBonino that introduced me to this place in 2017. He mentioned something like “go check out the lovely place Lines” when I kept posting stuff about Mannequins in a boring Facebook group. “Lines what?” I thought to myself. It wasn’t that very easy to find until he gave me the right address.
I’m somewhat a technology and MIDI illiterate (ask @vicimity) so I haven’t been that active posting anything of worth to this forum. I recently got a Norns Shield, so one step at a time I’m diving into a new world of threads trying to learn that magical little device filled to the brim of technology and MIDI. Wish me luck.

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#63

I found here through the Disquiet Junto - I don’t use anything Monome (or anything modular). I am a heathen! I love seeing and hearing about everyone’s works, but my brain just can’t deal with the modular world :rofl:

I first came across the Disquiet Junto because I was looking for communities that were focused on experimental music. Back then, I was in a creative rut and needed something to kick-start my practice again. I signed up to the Junto updates, then made my way here.

Along the way I’ve met a lot of wonderful artists, had some great discussions and participated in multiple livestreams. It’s been a pleasure being part of this community and I’m so glad to have found this place. Everyone is so supportive and creative and inspiring.

… maybe one day I will try again with modular :wink:

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#64

I found this place through The sound and process podcast towards the end of 2019. I had episodes on repeat during that time. Think I listened to the Marcus Fischer episodes 10 times! I got completely obsessed and started researching music from members here, trying to understand and learn about tools and techniques, and searched through old threads.

I had seen Monome instruments before, and always felt intrigued but somewhat intimidated. I didn’t quite understand what was going on, but after reading and watching videoes extensively I finally ordered Norns and Grid late in 2019.

To me this whole experience has totally changed the way I approach music, and continue to shape my interest in creative processes. The openess to sharing (ideas, creations and tools), and the kindness and friendly tone in here makes this place truly special.

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#65

I probably landed on a few lines threads while googling for info / discussion on various interesting approaches to sound (probably including Benjolins, PD Automatism, Bastl and Koma tabletop stuff, graphic scores etc), and started to notice that for quite a few things, lines seemed to be the main place outside of a CDM article and some youtube videos where things like this were discussed in any detail. I also noticed posts by some artists whose (abstract experimental electronic) work I like, which was a good sign, plus a notable lack of toxic / aggro / acquisitionist internet vibes. So I found myself looking at more and more threads.

Last year I decided to actually start participating in forums a bit (since I can’t currently talk to my friends at gigs…), and I’ve enjoyed posting on lines since then!

Its maybe worth mentioning that I don’t have any Monome / Norns stuff, and I don’t do Eurorack at all. From the outside those might seem to be the main focuses of the forum, but I still find plenty to engage with and find it a great resource. Thanks people!

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#66

i am a pure data nerd,
i was very interested in the lovely work done with Max/Msp and the Grids/Arc and then of course the Mannequins connection interested me. I will share that i got a weird grid and because of where i was living in CT i took a drive upstate to get a cordial welcome at monome HQ and the kindness and the artistic approach to technology and the egalitarian, inclusive tone of this forum has been a pleasure. I see others now adopting this method and i had kind of had enough of the Muffwiggler vibe --it was the time of that scenario with the guy who took hundreds of pre-orders for some modulator module and took like three years to deliver it. Anyway, I appreciate talking to programmers & artists possibly because i’ve never felt comfy as either.

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#67

Somehow, I must have missed these, so thanks for making me aware! They’ve made for good listening during the work day.

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#68

A friend got into modular, found Lines and pulled me in. I’ve stayed on for the community, the ideas and the quality of the conversation. I have llllllll.co on my list of “Time thieves” in my Cold Turkey website blocker (a free alternative to the Freedom-app). Procrastinators understand.

So far I have no plans to take up programming or go into modular. But who knows, I just made my first drone in VCV rack. I’m afraid Norns/Monome & Co still seems to be far above my songwriter-head.

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#69

I’m not exactly sure when monome came onto my radar, but a quick search of archived emails shows first communications with @tehn around 2007, when I ordered my first 40h, #145 of the first batch of 200.

I had not only fallen in love with the machine and the apps, but for the ethos behind it; the way they built the devices, the commitment to manufacture ethically, source locally and even sending the packages to the post by bike, Unlike nearly every other device of its kind, it was OpenSource! Then there were the videos I watched over again. Everything felt right.

Then something was posted on the monome.org forum re: the first Monomeet to be held @ Princeton. I called a friend of mine, a fellow-monomer, to tell her about it. We made plans, figured out transportation and set out for New Jersey.

The meetup was awesome, there was the informational section, with projections and Q&A, but the best part was the performances by @tehn, @Galapagoose (who I believe had organized everything, though I could be wrong) and the star of the day @edison who’d flown out from SF for the event and killed it. It was so great to meet everyone and put names to faces and jam with one another over beers and pizza.

Fast-forward to 2009, I was living in Astoria, Queens when I was burglarized. The bastards took nearly everything, about $7k worth, including my monome. I reached out to Brian who got right back to me with an invoice for insurance claim submission.

When I received the ins check, I immediately contacted Brian got right back to me with sympathy and let me order a Greyscale 64, which I still own, When things began turning towards eurorack support, I ordered a White Whale and a Grid, eventually adding a handful of WR modules to “the ecosystem.” Safe to say that if I could only have a laptop and one piece of gear, it would be my Grid. Thank you, Brian and Kelli for all of this.

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#70

yes! thanks for the kind words! was such a good trip!

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#71

Those monomeets were fantastic… I remember fondly the one Ray organized in Princeton, and the one Frank organized in New Mexico… the group is a bit larger now, but I really feel like we’re overdue for more in-person gatherings… once this dang pandemic is over maybe

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